Moose takes a swim in Wascana Lake

It might have been a bit late for Canada Day celebrations, but a moose decided to take a dip in Wascana Lake Monday morning.

Maeve McKinnon with the Wascana Racing Canoe Club was one of several people who spotted it as early as 8 a.m.

“I arrived at the club and heard some of the other coaches talking about it and looked out and saw the head of a moose swimming out in our course in the middle of Wascana Lake,” she said.

McKinnon say she has seen moose in Wascana park in the winter but she was surprised to see the iconic symbol of Canadian wildlife in the middle of the city in July.

“The kids were definitely really excited. They all ran to the dock and were trying to get a peek of the moose and then we did have athletes on the water kayaking and canoeing and just trying to stay away from it, but they definitely got closer than the people on the dock.”

She said club members saw the moose in the water for at least two hours, but she’s not sure where it ended up. Other people reported seeing it around noon.

Saskatchewan conservation officers were working with the Wascana Centre Authority to monitor the moose on Monday to ensure people stayed a safe distance away from it.

Lindsey Leko, a Saskatchewan conservation officer, explained that the wild visitor appeared to be a young bull moose about two to three years old. After seeing pictures on social media of people in canoes and kayaks trying to get a closer look, Leko warned people to stay away because it’s dangerous to agitate such a large animal.

As of 4:30 p.m., he said conservation officers had not tranquilized the moose because they are waiting until it goes to the main land for safety reasons. It had been swimming around islands and resting for most of the day.

A moose in Wascana Lake. Just another field day for #WascanaTurtles pic.twitter.com/oVgT0cTZEi

— Kelsey Marchand (@kels_m_) July 4, 2016

Moose in Wascana Lake today. #yqr #moose #sask #regina @GlobalRegina @CBCSask @ctvregina @TourismRegina pic.twitter.com/uBIeoqTVBc

— Todd Mintz (@yahsemtough) July 4, 2016